Rilagala is a mountain situated between Nawalapitiya and Dimbula at border of Kandy-Nuwera Eliya district. It is a mountain range and lower part is occupied by Queensbury tea estate. The top of Rilagala is covered by the forest. I have noted this mountain while map reading and was in my to-do list for a long time. In my visit to Watawala Kanda I have noticed this peak. Actually Rilagala belongs to Kandy district and Nuwera Eliya-Kandy District border lies on the range.

Rilagala in metric map. (Circled). The place of Pathana MWE is shown by a star.

It was a weekday I planned this journey and Keshan joined with me. Early morning we have reached Thalawakele by Nuwera Eliya bus and got Thalawakele-Nawalapitiya bus from there.
Dimbula Pathana Mini World’s end (පතන පුoචි ලෝකාන්තය) is also situated closer to Rilagala. Therefore we have decided to visit Pathana MWE before hike Rilagala. We got down before Queensberry estate, in front of the road to Kelleiewatta (කෙලිවත්ත) estate. It was a beautiful morning and surrounding mountains were clearly visible. We have walked along the estate road with assistance of Google map. It is the Gongalla (ගොන්ගල්ල) division of Kelleiewatta estate where this Mini World’s end situated. As we didn’t have the idea of place of MWE, we got assistance of a boy who was at lower line houses. Actually they don’t use the name World’s end, called it as summer hut at Gongalla. After the tea estate we entered a foot path through an abundant area of tea estate and it end up at wooden summer hut at Pathana Mini World’s end.

Pathana Mini World’s end has multiple view points but the one just below the summer hut is the best. It has 270 degree view. The immediate village situated at the drop of MWE is Wijayabahukanda (විජයබාහුකන්ද). We can view Sri Pada, Saptha Kanya, Kotagala, other peaks of Sri Pada range, Dell, Elbedda, Rawana kanda, Mountains situated at Hortain plains, Waterfall point, Great Western Mountain, Piduruthalagala range, Uda Radella, Peacock Hills, Kotmale Oya and it’s valley.

Entrance to Kelleiewatta estate

Scenic Dimbula-Nawalapitiya road

Scenic Dimbula-Nawalapitiya road

There was no clear road to enter. Actually this is an abundant road we followed as it is shown in Google map. There is a clear road as well.

Gravel estate road

Connecting to good road

Flourished Kelleiewatta tea estate

Surrounding view

Kotagala captured

Dell and Elbedda range (behind)

Sacred peak

Beautiful tea estate

Other than tea

Attended for work early morning

Transmission towers situated at tea estate

It’s Gongalla division of Kelleiewatta

Summer hut at Mini World’s end

View point of Pathana Mini World’s end

At Pathana Mini World’s end

At Pathana Mini World’s end

At Pathana Mini World’s end

Wijayabahukanda is at immediate drop of the world’s end

Towards Great western and Uda Radella. Conical Hills and Waterfall point are situated in right side of GW. Piduruthalagala must be seen left to GW.

Peacock Hills

Peacock Hills and Hanthana range. Kotmale Oya is seeking it’s way to Mahaweli River

After enjoying the beauty of Pathana MWE we have left Kelleiewatta estate to our main target of the day, Rilagala. Rilagala is situated at Queensberry estate which is situated in front of Kelleiewatta. Queensberry estate and Kelleiewatta estate are belong to different management groups. We have walked from Kelleiewatta to Queensberry estate.

Entering to Queensberry estate. A part of Rilagala range is seen behind

Let me clarify these Rilagala and Pasmale. The metric map marks the peak Rilagala with 1652m height in the range. There is another peak more than 1700m height in this range. But locals use the term Pasmale for this whole range and they don’t use the term Rilagala. And there is a separate area called Rilagala at base of the range (other side). They called Rilagala to this area, not this range. Therefore I would like to use both names in the report.
Lower peaks of Rilagala / Pasmale range are abundant tea estates, now covered with short Mana and grass to give attractive yellowish appearance on blue back ground of the sky. Only higher peaks are covered with forest. These yellowish peaks are seen to the main road. You will glance some cascades flowing when you enter Queensberry estate, called Queensberry estate falls. (Will come in another report). All these cascades join with Kadiyanlena Oya (කඩියන්ලෙන ඔය) later to form famous Katambulawa falls.
We entered Queensberry estate closer to church and went up through tea estates with aid of Google map and locals. There is a Kovil called, Wana Kovil
(වන කෝවිල) at border of the estate. Even after passing Wana Kovil tea estate road continues and end up at rocky area with short Mana. Here onwards there is no proper path and we have reached the forest border of Rilagala.

Lower peaks of Rilagala / Pasmale range

Streams origin from Rilagala to feed Kadiyanlena Oya

Through tea estate

Through tea estate

Upper cascades of Queensberry estate falls

Upper cascades of Queensberry estate falls

Upper hills of Rilagala is seen

Following steps…

Lower hills of Rilagala / Pasamle range covered with Short Mana

Wana Kovil

Summer hut with man-made pond

Rocky part of Rilagala / Pasmale range. Note the forest cap of the summit.

The forest is thickly grown and summit of Rilagala / Pasmale is situated under the cover of forest. We have passed it and reached a rocky area about 50m below the summit. It opens to surrounding. So this is the view point of Rilagala / Pasmale. We had a view towards Watawala Kanda, peak wilderness, Saptha Kanya, Kabaragala, Raxawa Kanda and Nawalapitiya areas.
As we started from Queensberry estate around 10am it was around 1pm when we reached Rilagala peak. After enjoying the surrounding view we followed some short cuts to reach the starting points of Queensberry estate in one and half-hour’ time.

Kabaragala and Raxawa Gala situated in right side of the picture. Inguru Oya and Nawalapitiya area in between Rilagala and Kabaragala. The mountain situated at Polpitiya-Kithulgala is seen next to Kabaragala range

Zoomed view of Kabaragala and Raxawagala

This must be the mountain situated at Polpitiya area of Kithulgala. Wewalthalawa with towers appears behind it.

On top of Rilagala / Pasmale range

On top of Rilagala / Pasmale range. Note there is another peak over 1700m. We didn’t try it.

Thanks for reading

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